The lady and I went in to one of Victoria's finest booksellers the other day. We were looking for a copy of Haruki Murakami's Norwegian Wood. A classic by one of literature's greatest artists. Surely they would stock this, right? No luck. Here's the 'M' section... Munro...Ryu Murakami...Huh? You gotta be kidding me. They carry Ryu Murakami but not Haruki? I'm not assuming my taste is everybody's, but I don't know too many folks who don't like HM. So I'm about to buttonhole one of the skinny, introverted clerks, when I spot a little note where his books should be: "Haruki Murakami books may be found behind the back desk." Hmm. Maybe that's the "Staff Picks" section, or a "Foreign Lit." section or something. I go looking around the back desk, but don't see anything. So I ask the skinny, squirrely bookworm at the back desk.
"Oh, yeah, we've got alla Murakami's books back here." He indicates a shelf behind him, out of reach to customers, and sure enough, there are most of Murakami's translated books, including Norwegian Wood. I go to ask the obvious: "Is there any reas--"
"Yeah, his books walk."
"You mean people steal them?"
"Yeah, his books get ripped off more than anyone else here."
Well I'll be damned. He passes me Norwegian Wood like I've asked to see a gold ring under glass.
I feel like this geek is sizing me up as a potential thief myself. The lady and I exchange a slightly nervous laugh. Our favourite writer has been either elevated to an even greater coolness level here, or tarnished a little. We can't figure which. I can imagine the cover of his latest novel: "New York Times Bestseller! #1 Most Stolen Book Worldwide!"
What would Murakami say about this? I've always imagined the West Coast hepcats with their tight jeans and single-speed cruisers as Murakami readers, but now when I see one conspicuously reading The Wind-up Bird Chronicle at some cafe, I'm going to think: You stole that, dirtbag.
As a self-respecting Chinaman, I must protest the homage paid to Japan in general, and to this Japanese author in specific.
ReplyDeleteNobi is obviously under some kind of Japanese curse and thinks that Japan and all of its adjuncts are to be celebrated.
Mao thinks not - for obvious reasons collected over the centuries of Japanese conquest and barbarism (N.B. There has never, ever been a untoward event caused by a Chinaman - myself included).
Further, the original title of the book was "Noruwei no Mori" - translated to English as Norwegian Forest. What? Do the Japanese not have a word for wood? Not surprised. They are, after all, the lesser of all asian races.
I am going to call for a Murakami book burning in Victoria's Chinatown next week.
There you have it. Mao